Energy in Europe : annual energy review 1998; Special issue December 1998

This present review reports some particularly important trends. The links between energy and other economic activities (i.e. energy intensity) seems to be changing. Improvements in industrial energy intensity have begun to show signs of slowing down following a period of continuous improvement over two decades. At the same time, transport energy intensity seems for the first time to be stabilising and in some Member States may indeed be reporting improvement in intensity. Given the importance of how efficiently we use energy, these trends will be closely monitored. In the meantime, our overall policy response is to give priority in developing our efficiency programmes. At the Earth Conference in 1992, the EU unilaterally undertook to stabilise carbon dioxide emissions at 1990 levels by 2000. The short-term forecast published here suggests that this objective may indeed be within reach. While the outline for energy and the subsequent CO2 emissions associated with such demand depend in the short-term largely on weather conditions; there is optimism that the Rio de Janeiro 1992 commitment will be met. The Energy Council in its report to the European Council in Vienna confirms the need for continual monitoring and analysis of developing trends on a permanent basis. The Annual Energy Review will develop the range of information and indicators in response to new need identified by Member States, economic and other stakeholders.